Science has never been funnier than at this unique comedy show where the brainiacs take the mic. Local scientists in every field from microbiology to ornithology will try their hands at stand-up comedy for the first time—and they’ve got a lot to say about their work. Then enjoy improv and sketch comedy from local comedy troupe The Showdowners. Thu 7:30 p.m. Denver Museum of Nature & Science. 2001 Colorado Boulevard, Denver. 303-370-6000. $12-$15

The Stanley Hotel opened in 1909 at the doorstep of Rocky Mountain National Park and nowadays juxtaposes a devout Western aesthetic with flat screen televisions and jacuzzis—authentic yet polished. That’s the theme of its next musical guest: Five-time Grammy Award–winning country singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter performs her latest album, The Things That We Are Made Of, an 11-song collaboration with Grammy Producer of the Year nominee Dave Cobb. The album, which critics call an exploratory journey into Carpenter’s middle age psyche, is the ideal two-night show for any Coloradan looking to find themselves in Carpenter’s self-affirming lyrics. Fri 7 p.m. The Stanley Hotel 333 E. Wonderview Ave., Estes Park. 970-577-4000. $85